Guardian
by NerdySkeleton
Summary: Rated T for suicidal thoughts..."Slowly, she raises her barefoot and begins to take the deep plunge...'That first step is a big one,' someone says."


I don't know where this came from…

* * *

Valkyrie Cain stares over the edge of the cliff, her mind blank and clear and peaceful. She squishes her toes together in her black and muddy boots, weighing her options carefully. She carefully takes off her black coat and removes her boots. Valkyrie ties her hair up in a thick ponytail, breathing deeply. She folds her hands, praying silently that everything will work out for her. Slowly, she raises her barefoot and begins to take the deep plunge…

"That first step is a big one," someone says.

Valkyrie screams loudly, flailing back and toppling onto the ground, groaning. She brushes dirt from her backside and turns to stare at an old man, sitting cross legged on the ground. There is a walking next to him and a basket of flowers and bread.

"You nearly scared me to death!" Valkyrie exclaims.

The old man shrugs. "Sorry, but you seemed to be doing well with the death part," he says. "Should I let you continue with it?"

Valkyrie blinks at his bluntness, but remains seated. She brushes a few loose strands of hair from her face and stares at the old man. "What are you doing here?"

"This is a popular place for you folk," he says calmly. "I've heard of a few people coming up here, intent, and then jumping before anyone can stop them. I thought maybe I could try and stop whoever else came next."

"You're going to save our lives?"

"That's my plan," he smiles, reaching into the basket and handing a piece of bread to Valkyrie. "Tell me why you were about to throw away your life, please. I'd like to know."

Valkyrie takes a bite of the bread, chewing it, thinking over how she's going to tell this man her reasons for almost killing herself. "It's…I can't tell," she manages to mutter.

"I will take whatever you say to me to the grave," he says darkly, sitting up straighter, his eyes sharp and focused.

Valkyrie studies the man. Though she normally doesn't trust anyone this quickly, she does trust this weird man. "There's a world of magic out there," she begins, "but it's not all wands and wizard hats. There's gore and death and terrible monsters that will give you nightmares for as long as you live. I was brought into that world when I was twelve; it's been too long since I've seen my parents. A friend, who's actually a skeleton, is hunting me and wants to kill me for a crime I didn't commit. He firmly believes that I killed his best friend, whom I was good friends with. This man, who made these clothes I'm wearing, was actually killed by my best friend, a woman who carries around a sword.

"My husband, who's trying to protect me, is being held hostage at a building that could blow up any minute. There's a mad man with no eyeballs after me, all because I stole his knife when I was thirteen and he holds really strong and unnecessary grudges."

"Why kill yourself?"

"Because I've been running for far too long, and all I want is peace."

The man stares at her. "Are you sure that you'd get peace if you were to take your life?"

Valkyrie pauses, not sure how to answer the question. "I'd at least be away from the man who's hunting me. He's given me too many bullet wounds and scars." She lifts up her shirt a little, revealing her abdomen, with a dark red circle to the side. The man doesn't react.

"The one man who would believe me in all of this is a ghost and I have no way of reaching him, since he is at the house that I rightfully own, and I can't go back there."

"Why does this skeleton believe you murdered his best friend?" the man asks, changing the subject quickly.

"I was set up by the woman who murdered _his_ family and my teacher who taught me death magic," Valkyrie responds.

"Can you prove that they did it?"

"They're in hiding somewhere."

"Ah, that's unfortunate. Well, you're at least not being a cowardice."

Valkyrie opens her mouth a little. "I was just about to kill myself because I was tired of this, and you're telling me I'm not being a coward?"

"I believe that's what I'm doing," the man responds.

Valkyrie scoffs and gets up, shoving on her boots and jacket. "Whatever, old man. I don't need someone to mock me for all the crap that I've done. Please excuse me." She storms off for a minute, but quickly marches right back to the man, who is still sitting calmly on the ground. "You did that on purpose."

The old man shrugs. "Maybe I did."

Valkyrie glares at him hard. "You're not pulling some crazy mind stuff on me, are you?"

"I hope I'm not. Apparently, though, with you, stranger things have happened. And do, with alarming regularity."

Valkyrie almost shouts at him for being insensitive, but she stops suddenly to stare, wide-eyed at the man. "Oh my…Oh God…"

"What?"

"I-I-I have to go," Valkyrie says uneasily, scratching her head and staring at the old man.

"Take a flower before you go, please," he says, hobbling up, using his walking stick. He hands Valkyrie a purple one, covered with little black spots along the stem.

She accepts the flower, still staring at him strangely, as though he wasn't really there. She tucks the flower behind her ear and smiles. "Thank you," she says and takes off in a sprint to fix life's problems.

* * *

This will be short. No matter what, it will be short. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, but I definitely think it deserves it's own story.

Thanks for reading! I don't know when the next update will be…so yeah.

:)


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